Power Rankings | BAFA NL Adult Premiership: Week Six

We’re collating this year’s rankings via a completely new format – polling not only our own BAFA National Leagues team of correspondents but also giving all of our passionate Patreon supporters the opportunity to determine how these rankings stack up!

Each contributor submitted their own picks of who’s top dogs in each tier, and then we tallied it all up to create these amalgamated rankings!

Once again, this new format of selecting the top ten teams in each tier is proving tempestuous!

12. Bury Saints ( = )

Following their forfeit at the weekend it’ll surprise no one to see the Saints still propping up the top tier rankings.

A number of factors combined to force the Saints into a position where they felt unable to field a team on Sunday, though the committee feel certain this situation should be a one-off.

With a second forfeit on the season potentially meaning a drop to associate status? The Saints’ll certainly be hoping this is the case. We’ll see them again in Week Seven when they play host to the Warriors.

11. East Kilbride Pirates ( = )

The Pirates remain outside the top ten for another Week.

They host the Manchester Titans in Week Seven, who’ve already claimed one Scottish scalp in a trip north of the wall so far this year.

10. Farnham Knights ( Down One )

Farnham drop a spot following their loss to the Olympians at the weekend.

The Knights held their own through the first half, but couldn’t keep pace as the game wore on.

Week Seven sees them face the Blitz for a second time this year.

9. Merseyside Nighthawks (Down One)

Merseyside continue their meander down the rankings following opening their season 0-2.

The Nighthawks fell afoul of Tamworth’s return to domestic action at the weekend, though they managed to put up a couple scores of their own at least.

They’ll see a crucial game against the Giants as part of a stacked slate of fixtures in Week Seven!

8. Sheffield Giants (Down One)

Sheffield slip a spot to seven as other teams rise up the ranks.

They return from a couple of weekends off with a trip to Merseyside in Week Seven – a game that’s likely crucial if the Giants want to compete for a playoff berth this year.

7. London Olympians (Up Three)

The Olympians rise three spots following a nice win over the Knights at the weekend – their first back in the top tier. They outlasted their opponents and are looking more and more likely to lock themselves into top-tier balling in their first year back following promotion.

We’ll see them in Week Eight in a second gruelling matchup against the Warriors.

6. Bristol Aztecs ( = )

It was far from pretty, but despite a #50Burger loss at the weekend the Aztecs stay locked into the sixth spot in the rankings.

They opened the scoring with a touchdown from the defence, but it was all Blitz from there on out.

They take on the Londoners for a second time in Week Eight and they’ll hope the homefield advantage leads to a more favourable scoreline.

5. Edinburgh Wolves (Down One)

The Wolves couldn’t quite keep pace with the Titans last Sunday, falling two points short against the Prem North’s new boys.

The loss allows the Titan to leapfrog them into the #4 spot with the frustrated Wolves next seeing action against Tamworth in Week Seven.

4. Manchester Titans (Up One)

Manchester continue to march up the rankings following their win over the Wolves at the weekend!

They’ll get a shot at another scottish scalp when they head to the Pirates in Week Seven.

3. London Warriors (Down Two)

Our rankers continue to juggle the top three spots in rankings as the Warriors drop two, ending their brief stint at the top of the Britball pyramid in the Week Five rankings.

They missed out on what would likely have been a big momentum-building victory after the Saints were forced to forfeit, allowing the Phoenix and Blitz to overtake them in the rankings.

Still, they’ll see the Saints soon enough, travelling to Bury in Week Seven.

2. London Blitz (Up One)

Despite a scare in the first series, as a mistake on the opening drive allowed the Aztecs to take an early lead, the Blitz put in a dominant showing in front of their Family Day double-header crowd.

They hop into the #2 spot once again, before hosting the Knights in Week Seven.

1. Tamworth Phoenix (Up One)

And a return to domestic action also brings a return to the top of the rankings for the Phoenix!

They put in a dominant showing in their trip to the Nighthawks in Week Six and despite their struggles in European action are clearly still a cut above the contenders they’ve faced so far in the Prem North!

They host Edinburgh in Week Seven and this might well be one to watch – the Wolves pushed the Phoenix closest last year, Tamworth taking only a single score win away from Edinburgh in Week Six of their undefeated 2017 campaign.

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Nick

Nick 'Willy Tee' Wilson-Town hails from the South West where he's spent the last decade bouncing around various teams at the university and senior level. He came to fame on the now departed unofficial forum thanks to his regularly irreverent Uniball predictions and general 'BUAFL wafflage'. Follow him on twitter @WillyTee1